Marathon was 'Target of Opportunity,' Bombing Suspect Says

No indication that running per se was targeted.

Since the bombings at the Boston Marathon on April 15, runners have wondered whether the attacks were somehow directed at running. In an interview with Runner's World on Wednesday, Boston Athletic Association Executive Director Tom Grilk said, "I can’t confirm anything" about whether the marathon had been specifically targeted. "I know the way it has felt and been treated here, as an attack on our city, our region. What was in the minds of the people who did it, I cannot say."

According to wire reports, the surviving suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, has told the FBI that he and his brother, Tamerlan, chose the marathon finish area because it was a "target of opporuntity." The brothers originally planned their attack for July 4, but finished making their bombs earlier than expected, and picked the crowded, open, high-visibility finishing stretch of the marathon.

As we have reported extensively since the bombings, it's unlikely that the finish areas of major marathons will ever again be considered soft targets. Races are implementing enhanced security procedures, including runner-only areas, restrictions on baggage, and larger perimeters open only to screened individuals.